Staff Correspondent

Chittagong Marine Academy, the only internationally recognized maritime training center in Bangladesh, is on the brink of collapse due to 15 years of misrule. The academy trained cadets who work in various ships, shipping companies (home & abroad), contributing significantly to the country's economy through remittances.

However, the institution's reputation is at risk due to prolonged mismanagement and former commandant Sajid Hossain is blamed for the decline. Hossain, who was dismissed in 2003, was reappointed in 2009 for political reasons and has held the position for 15 years, allegedly engaging in corruption and irregularities.

The Controller General of Audit has raised objections against Hossain for corruption amounting to Tk 4 crore in two financial years and his appointment, series of promotion and renewal of contract. Additionally, four senior instructors have left the academy after being denied promotions, leading to a reliance on part-time guest trainers and disrupting the education program.

As a result, cadets face long waits for job placements, with many forced to seek employment in other fields. The marine association leaders warn that if the situation continues, the academy may lose its international reputation, and Bangladeshi seafarers could be blacklisted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), similar to what happened to Filipino sailors years ago. This could jeopardize the sector, which earns at least $500 million annually, and put around 19,000 sailors at risk of unemployment, threatening the country's economy.

Sajid Hossain began his service on November 22, 1995, as a Senior Engineer. He was promoted to Chief Engineer on February 13, 2000, but was suspended on October 20, 2003, for making negative comments about a former president. After filing a writ petition in the High Court, his dismissal was suspended, and he served another 1 year and 9 months before voluntarily retiring on July 2, 2005, citing personal reasons.

With the return of the Awami League government in 2009, Sajid Hossain was contractually appointed as the commandant of Chittagong Marine Academy on October 11, 2009, for a period of 2 years as a "retired chief engineer."

Sajid Hossain served as commandant for 14 consecutive years until October 2023. On September 26, 2023, the Ministry of Shipping assigned the additional responsibility of commandant to Captain Ibn Ǫaiser Taimur, a senior instructor at the academy.

On September 30, Sajid Hossain ignored the ministry's letter and issued an office order claiming that his contract renewal was under consideration and announced that he would remain on standby at the academy. Although he did not perform the duties of commandant, he continued to enjoy the government bungalow and car. He finally left the academy on August 15, 2023, after the fall of the government on August 5, 2023.

Despite allegations of arbitrariness and corruption against him over 15 years, no action was taken by the Ministry of Shipping. The audit report for the fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21 found irregularities and corruption amounting to Tk 4 crore.

Promotions and Rule-Breaking: Sajid Hossain was appointed as the Commandant of the Marine Academy for 2 years, but the provision to promote him to Deputy Commandant was ignored. On October 26, 2011, his contract was extended by 1 year.

On October 15, 2012, he was promoted to Deputy Commandant Grade 4 on the last working day of his contract as Commandant. The next day, he was given the current charge of Commandant and submitted his salary and allowance claim to the Divisional Controller of Accounts. The Divisional Controller of Accounts has been unable to take any action for 11 years due to a lack of clear direction in government regulations. Present commandant (3rd Grade) working in London High commission as IMO counselor (5th Grade)> Departure of Senior Trainers : As Sajid held the post for 14 consecutive years, four senior instructors and the deputy commandant left their jobs after being denied promotion. This left the academy without qualified leadership.

One of them, Captain Sabbir Hossain, now serves as the Principal Officer of the Department of Shipping stated that he was supposed to become commandant after being promoted from deputy commandant, but it was not possible due to Sajid's tenure.

A Failed Attempt to Solve the Leadership Crisis: In November 2023, the concerned Ministry attempted to address the leadership issues at Chittagong Marine Academy. On November 2, Deputy Commandant ABM Shamim, who was serving as Counselor (Maritime Affairs) at the Bangladesh High Commission in London, was promoted to the rank of Commandant and asked to join the academy. However, his refusal to accept the position led to a leadership crisis, allowing Sajid Hossain to continue enjoying the privileges of the Commandant.

The ministry struggled to appoint a new commandant due to a lack of qualified officers within the academy and this reason Captain Taimur has been holding the additional charge of Commandant for over a year.

Currently, Captain Shamim is officially appointed as Commandant (3rd grade) of Chittagong Marine Academy but continues to serve as a counselor in London with two grades below the commandant position. His reluctance to join the academy is an ignorance the govt. regulations has left the ministry unable to appoint a qualified individual to the post.

Many have questioned Captain Shamim's appointment and noted that neighboring countries like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka do not have regular counselors at the London headquarters of the International
Maritime Organization (IMO) and they only send representatives to monthly or quarterly meetings. Appointing a full-time counselor with a salary of £8,000 per month is a waste, especially during a foreign exchange crisis in a nation like Bangladesh.

While contacted Captain Shamim explained that he was supposed to be promoted from Deputy Commandant to Commandant in 2018, but this did not happen due to Sajid. In 2022, he applied for the counselor position in London and was appointed for four years. He expressed his commitment to improving the country's shipping industry and stated that he does not want to return to the academy.

Excessive Recruitment of Cadets: Since its establishment in 1962, Chittagong Marine Academy has trained 5,097 cadets. Of these, 2,370 were trained until 2010, and 2,727 were trained during Sajid's tenure over the next 13 years. Former cadets claim that the significant increase in cadet recruitment without adequate infrastructure and facilities has deprived them of international-quality education.

As a result, many cadets have left the profession and faced long waits for employment. Doubts have also arisen about the capabilities of Marine Academy cadets in the international arena.

Teacher Shortage Disrupts Educational Programs:

Cadet enrollment at the academy has quadrupled, but the number of instructors has not increased proportionally. Four instructors left their jobs after being denied promotion for 15 years. The Bangladesh Marine Officers Association leaders stated that the education program has been disrupted due to the shortage of instructors. A minimum of 18 instructors are required for around 600 cadets in two batches, but only five are regularly present at the academy. The institution relies on part-time or guest trainers, resulting in cadets completing their training without finishing the syllabus. Captain Ibn Ǫaiser Taimur, who is in additional charge of the commandant, was unavailable for comment.

Captain Anam Chowdhury, President, Mariners Association mentioned that they have written to the Ministry of Shipping, providing a list of 11 people to address the academy's trainer crisis and offering several recommendations for the academy's development. Efforts to contact Ministry of Shipping Senior Secretary Mohammad Yusuf, Additional Secretary (Admin) Delwara Begum, and Director General of Shipping Commodore Mohammad Maqsood Alam regarding Sajid's illegal appointment, prolonged tenure, corruption allegations, and leadership and trainer shortages were unsuccessful, as they did not respond to calls.